Taking serious note of the increasing number of deaths of People Living with HIV and AIDS (PLHIV) despite anti–retroviral treatment (ART), World Vision India (WVI) has urged the government to urgently frame a policy to address the problem.

WVI, a Christian humanitarian organization working to bring about changes in the lives of children, families and communities living in poverty, said such people have a very alarming prevalence of Hep–C co–infection with HIV.

It said non–prevalence of specific components for women and children till date in the National AIDS Control programme were raised and discussed as a major challenge. WVI's advocacy associate Daisy David added that the rate of Hep–C co–infection with HIV is more than 90 per cent in the northeastern states.

During an interactive session with PLHIV and reporters held in Imphal on Wednesday, David said, "People Living with AIDS are dying of liver complications caused by this co–infection and the side effects of ART. This needs to be addressed by the state offering free PCR testing and treatment for Hep–C co–infection."

The PLHIV activists, during the session, urged the National AIDS Control Organisation (Naco) to remove the second line ART eligibility procedure from the control of state AIDS clinical expert panel. tnnThey also requested the government to immediately phase out Stavudine (d4T) from the first line regimen and include (TDF) instead in tune with the WHO recommendations.

Both WVI and PLHIV batted for children and women–specific diagnosis and easy access to quality care, support and treatment under various social schemes of the government.

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